Editor’s Picks

Football legend Sir Alex Ferguson remains in a critical condition following a brain haemorrhage.

According to various reports, the 76-year-old icon of British sport, has recovered sufficiently enough to communicate with loved ones, but doctors have stressed the former United boss is entering a crucial period for his recovery.

Sir Alex Ferguson once fined his Aberdeen players for a prank in a hotel. And the gruff Glaswegian told them about their punishment in verse! pic.twitter.com/Vz1xuXJr8C

Brexit got into motion, royal weddings were announced, Trump was barred from the UK, then he wasn’t, then he was…

Perhaps 2017 will be viewed by historians as the most transformative year in post war Britain.

March saw article 50 triggered: signalling an end to a 50 year marriage between the UK and the EU.

June saw a resurgence, particularly among the youth, for the left-wing politics of yesteryear; nationalisation was once again cool, higher taxes for fat cats to abolish students fees. Civil servants were instructed to prepare plans for a Ministry of Peace if Labour won.

In 12 short months, Britain almost voted in a party with the most far-left agenda since the 40’s – it also voted to leave the EU, all in one year.

It’s been an interesting one.

Below, we take some of the best stories from 2017 that show, despite the differences, how great Great Britain really is.

A nation unites

May 22 shocked the UK. Young children attending a music concert in Manchester. A deranged sicko entered with bombs in his bag. A nation was one with grief.

Two weeks after the tragedy a plethora of stars returned to the scene to bring those scarred and scared together. And to raise money.

Over 10 million was raised for the victims.

Divorce proceedings

In March the UK and the EU signed off on Article 50- formally putting into motion the legislation that would end all legal and economic relations between the two.

Royal wedding

According to Wikipedia, she’s an actress from America.

‘Despite Brexit’

Although ‘youthquake’ entered as this year’s word-of-the-year (me neither), the motif ‘despite Brexit’ entered the media’s discourse – used to qualify that good news was forthcoming despite what the UK had voted for.

However, businesses seem, despite Brexit, to be bullish about 2018.

The Institute of Directors finished their end-of-year report with: “Nearly half of business chiefs were either quite or very optimistic about what the year ahead would bring for their companies, with 47pc feeling good about future prospects.”